Precious Achiuwa has wasted no time showing why the Kings see him as such a valuable piece.
Sacramento needed help on defense early in the 2025-2025 season, and the answer was a familiar one: bring in a respected veteran who could stabilize things. Achiuwa fit that role quickly. The Kings were still fighting through defensive problems, but his presence made a difference, and he also meshed fast with the team’s rookies - Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford, and Dylan Cardwell.
That steady impact is part of why Achiuwa got two more seasons from Sacramento. He turned in one of the best years of his career, and the Kings rewarded him for it. Through the preseason, he’s backed up that move by doing whatever the team has needed, no matter where he’s stationed.
The preseason has shown just how wide his range can be.
In the opener, Achiuwa’s night was quiet. He logged fewer than 15 minutes while the spotlight was mainly on the younger players, especially Darius Acuff Jr. Even so, Sacramento had him starting at power forward with both Ben Simmons and Keegan Murray resting.
Game 2 brought a much bigger workload. Achiuwa opened again at power forward and stayed on the floor for more than 23 minutes. He finished with 18 points, five rebounds, three assists, and one steal, going 9-for-13 from the field for a 69.2% average.
By game 3, the Kings needed him in the middle. With Domantas Sabonis and Cardwell resting, and then Raynaud getting injured, Achiuwa started at center and played 27-plus minutes.
He came away with eight points, eight rebounds, and one assist. He’s been useful anywhere, but he does look a little more productive at power forward.
That’s the point. Achiuwa is the kind of player who can slide into almost any spot and handle the job.
Once Sabonis, Simmons, and Murray are all back, he’ll likely return to a bench role. Even so, Sacramento has to feel good knowing it has a backup like Achiuwa ready for just about anything.
In Other News...
Zach LaVine Has One Last Chance To Change His Kings Story
Ben Simmons is back in the NBA with Sacramento after stepping away for a season to focus on his mental and physical health, and his arrival adds another layer to a Kings roster that already has plenty of career-crossroads energy around it. Zach LaVine is in the same kind of prove-it space, still trying to reset the conversation around his game and his place in the league while sharing a locker room with another veteran trying to rebuild a reputation.
For LaVine, the timing matters because his Kings run has not gone the way either side wanted, and every stretch from here carries extra weight for how the rest of his stint is remembered. Sacramento is looking for signs that he can still be part of something meaningful here, but the larger question hanging over the season is whether there is enough time left for him to change the story before the next chapter arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Add Two Wings With A Chance To Earn More Than Stockton
The Kings kept their camp pipeline moving by adding a pair of wings on Exhibit 10 deals, giving Aaron Nkrumah and Damari Monsanto a path to stick in Sacramento while also setting them up for a possible bonus if they head to Stockton. Nkrumah arrives as an undrafted Tennessee State product who has been working his way through the pro ranks, while Monsanto comes in after spending last season in the G League following his time at UTSA.
Monsantos fit in the organization has been building for a while, since Stockton had already secured his returning rights before this signing. For Sacramento, the move is another low-risk look at two perimeter players who can spend training camp around the club, compete for a deeper opportunity and at minimum give the Kings minor league affiliate a couple of useful names to monitor when the season gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Still Have One Preseason Question Fans Can't Ignore
The preseason has already given Sacramento a better sense of its identity on one end of the floor, even if the sample is still small. Henry Turner, the former Kings forward now working as a broadcaster, said the team has shown more defensive energy since a rough opener, and he singled out rookies Emanuel Sharp and Darius Acuff Jr. for bringing intensity and confidence that has been hard to miss.
Even so, the larger question for Doug Christie is still how all the pieces fit once the games start to count. Turner pointed to the need to sort out the right player combinations and clearly define roles before the preseason wraps up, with Ben Simmons standing out as a potential facilitator to help balance a guard-heavy attack. For Sacramento, the challenge is not just building on the defensive spark, but deciding which looks are going to stick. [Read more 🡒]